Back to Nature
by UnderwaterOphelia
Summary: KOGKAG. Maybe slow burn? Kagome gets dumped and forgets to sign up for the annual week-long Miko and Yokai registration and training, making her take a spot in rural Nantan, Kyoto. Maybe a certain ookami can reawaken her heart?
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: I really wanted to make a modern day AU, but I felt the need to include some real life details about Japan for worldbuilding purposes, particularly Kyoto and the surrounding areas and forests. Google maps is a hell of a drug folks. If anything's inaccurate just let me know and I'll edit._

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Kagome Higurashi was screwed, totally screwed. She'd forgotten to sign up for the annual training and registration week that all Miko and Youkai had to go through! And now unless she found a spot, she'd be arrested for failing to register with the government. She'd only done this every year of her life, how could she have forgotten? Oh yeah, because she'd been a bit distracted getting dumped by Inuyasha last week.

Ruminating on her current lack of a love life, she frantically searched the internet looking at all of Kyoto's shrines for a spot, but they were all taken. This didn't bode well for her. Usually the shrines were the last to fill up because yokai preferred not to take the trainings there.

Moving on to government buildings and reserved high schools, she finally found the last spot at Kyoto Prefectural Kitakuwada High Branch School, deep in the Kyoto Tanba-Kogen National Park. Realizing it would be too tough to commute for a week, she quickly found the only ryokan in the area, the Yamazato Ryouri, and booked a room with a check in for tomorrow. Perfect!

Sighing in relief, she collapsed on her bed and looked around at her tiny 1K apartment and realized she needed to pack a weeks worth of her clothes asap. Groaning, rolled over and put her head into her pillow to scream out her frustrations. A small tear blazed it's way down her face as she silently cried herself to sleep.

When Kagome awoke the next morning, she took her times getting ready and moved slowly so she wouldn't forget anything. It's not like she'd be able to go down to the store once she was up in the national park. She packed a mix of nice clothes and clothes meant for comfort, opting for a lot of sundresses to combat the heat and humidity of the summer.

Checking her bags twice and realizing she wouldn't have enough practical underwear for the trip, she opened her special panty drawer and threw in a few of the more comfortable ones. At least she'd be getting some use out of the frilly things instead of just letting them sit in a drawer forever.

By 1pm, she was grabbing her two suitcases and heading downstairs. She packed up her little baby blue Nissan and started her journey to Nantan on highway 162. The travel time was only listed as an hour and fifteen minutes, but she wanted to find some lunch in the small village surrounding the ryokan before checking in at 3pm.

Her good planning was fortunate, because she got lost twice once she got off the highway and barely made it to the ryokan at check in. Discarding her shoes in the genkan, she was greeted warmly by the innkeeper and her family. After settling into her cozy tatami-styled room, she had just enough time to scarf down a small lunch downstairs before needing to leave for the first day orientation at 4pm.

The 15 minute walk from the inn to the high school was breathtaking. Surrounded by gorgeous rolling hills and mountains, she walked alongside the Yura River on the back roads and vowed that from now on she'd voluntarily do her annual registration here. It felt like she was on vacation rather than a mandated training.

Once the school came into view, she quickly found the auditorium she was registered for and realized she was the first to arrive. It didn't surprise her since she was 15 minutes early, so she took a seat at the back of the room. Participants slowly filtered in, and the banter in the room increased. Kagome realized that most people in such a rural area would know each other, and her suspicions were confirmed when groups and cliques formed, seemingly knowing where to sit with years of familiarity between them.

It seemed that most of the mikos sat in the front, with only a few mingling in toward the back with the yokai surrounding her. It looked like they were giving her a wide berth, but she wasn't exactly sure why. Shrugging it off, she pulled out her document folder and a pen from her purse and set it on the desk in front of her to wait for the registration to start.

Just when she thought everyone had settled into the room and the government officials arrived, one last very large group of yokai burst into the room. From the tails of the full yokai and the occasional set of ears atop hanyous' heads, she immediately pegged them for ookami. And they were all making their way directly to where she was sitting.

Realizing this must be _their_ seats, she watched them filling in all around her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a tall man with his hair in a ponytail sit next to her and murmur, "I haven't seen you around here before" while arching an eyebrow.

Kagome blushed, smiling a bit and saying, "Yes, sorry I didn't realize these seats were taken. I can move to a different spot tomorrow if you'd like?" Fiddling with her pen and crossing her legs, she shyly looked up at him and froze. He was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. She took in his thick black hair, high cheekbones, flawless skin, but what caught her interest the most were his piercing blue eyes. She felt like she could drown in their aqua depths.

He flashed her a grin and whispered that it wouldn't be necessary, and she could sit with them anytime. His eyes trailed down her body and back up again, but when his eyes caught hers she was confused. His face had turned from a grin of male appreciation to a look of sudden shock. She heard him growl out something in Ookami and heard the responses from the surrounding demons. She suddenly wished she had taken the language in college.

Turning tomato red as she realized she was staring, she quickly turned her head back to the front of the room just as the government official started droning on about the week's schedule and what documents they would need to complete their registration. Against her will, she occasionally peeked over at the man next to her every few minutes, noting that every time she did, his eyes would slant over to hers and the corner of his mouth would tilt up into a smirk.

About 30 minutes later, the official began passing out the registration packets and Kagome had to focus and began filling out the application. It wasn't difficult because of her notes and documents listing the dates of all her previous training and the dates she gained certain abilities, but as she looked over at the mystery man beside her she realized not everyone was as meticulous as she was.

She snickered silently at the confused look on his face and the piles of papers he had on his desk before finishing her packet and bringing it to the front of the class after packing up her purse. The official thanked her and said she was free to go, reminding her that class started the next day at 9am. Sneaking one last peek up at the back of the auditorium, she hurried out of the room after noticing several ookami staring at her.

Leaving the school, she slowly walked towards the inn, taking her time to enjoy the beautiful day and stopping several times to snap a picture to text her mother. She was nearly to the ryokan when she heard a loud call of "Hey, wait!" coming from behind her. Turning, she was surprised to see the man with the ponytail sprinting towards her and she stopped to lean against a fence.

"I never caught your name. I'm Kouga." Looking into his eyes, she vaguely heard herself breathlessly say "Kagome" and was blown away by the handsome grin he gave her. "I know this is forward, but do you want to go get coffee? There's a little coffee shop down the street and I'd love to show you around the town."

Holding her breath for a moment while considering, she decided to go for it. Her friend Sango told her to get back out there and meet new people after Inuyasha had dumped her, and she felt like she should take that advice for once. He seemed like a really sweet guy, maybe just what she needed after Inuyasha's bad mannered ways.

With a firm nod as her answer, he smiled and led her down the street, passing the ryokan and heading over a small bridge. They chatted as they ordered their drinks and sat down, conversation coming easy despite only meeting today. When her order as up and she went to pay he gruffly refused and paid for it himself, making her blush and look away shyly.

All too soon it turned twilight and he regretfully cut their coffee date short, saying he needed to get home to the pack. "Where are you staying for the training? Can I walk you there to make sure you get home safe?" She nodded and let him know where the ryokan was. Only a few minutes later he had safely delivered her to the inn, and he blushed when he asked, "Can I take you out for lunch tomorrow? We get an hour break in the middle of training and I know a little lunch and confectionery shop near the school."

The word "yes" flew out of her mouth before she could even think about it, and she was so embarrassed that she ran inside and closed the shoji door without giving him a chance to say goodnight. Leaning against the wall and trying to calm her racing heart, she heard his soft chuckle and fading footsteps.


	2. Chapter 2

When Kouga stepped through his door the room went silent, which was impressive because his living room was packed to the brim with ookami. All at once they all talked and shouted over one another, vying for his attention and trying to get an answer out of him. Choruses of "what the hell happened today?" and "Kouga who was she?" rang all around his ears. He boomed a command of "SILENCE!" out at them, using his Alpha status to shut them all up.

Calming himself, he started with, "Her name is Kagome, she's 23, and she's a miko from central Kyoto. As I'm sure you all felt today through the pack bond, I've imprinted on her. I took her out for coffee after orientation. So far that's it. You WILL NOT harass her, got it?" At their wide eyes and nods, he added, "If she talks to you, be polite and welcoming. Treat her as pack, but try not to overwhelm her and don't reveal too much all at once. I'm not sure how much she knows about ookami."

"Does she know what happened today? Hell, does she know you're the Alpha?" one of his betas Ginta questioned from his spot on the couch. When Kouga shook his head, Hakkaku piped up with, "Well when do you want to tell her? It's so rare to imprint on a human, and they're so different about dating…"

"I know that idiot. The problem is, she's only here for a week for the training." He pinched the center of his brow in annoyance. Leave it to him to imprint on someone who lived almost 2 hours away. "I'm taking her to lunch tomorrow. Don't follow and don't be weird. Maybe if it all goes well, I can ask if she wants to have dinner too. Now get outta here and go home."

Watching as the pack filtered out with murmurs of congratulations as they passed him, only Ginta and Hakkaku stayed behind. "How can we help boss?" He paced for a moment, clearly thinking it over before looking back at the eager faces of his two betas. "Help me pull off dinner tomorrow. If she says yes when I ask her at lunch, I want to surprise her with something romantic here. Maybe a picnic?"

At their enthusiastic nods, it was settled. They'd help him with the set up, and he's focus on wooing her. After all, he only had a week.

The next day the pack was at the school early, no one wanting to miss the opportunity to see their new prospective Alpha female and interact with her in some way. Kouga sat in the same place as yesterday, and had Ginta flank him on the right and Hakkaku take up position two seats down, leaving Kagome's seat untouched.

The moment she entered into the auditorium and looked up for him, his heart stopped and his eyes lit up. He couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face as she blushed and came up to sit next to him. Looking down at her fondly, it was like a warmth spread out from his chest and through his whole body.

Kouga was so distracted by Kagome's presence through the day that he completely missed most of the lecture, including the announcement that it was time for lunch. He could hear the pack whispering behind him, too low for humans to hear, saying that his mooning over her was too cute. He rolled his eyes at the comment and started packing his papers up as she stood.

As they walked to the little deli and confectionary he smiled as felt her right hand subtly brush against his, and he bumped it back in a little game. He didn't want to do all the chasing and chase her away, after all. And despite being over several centuries old, Kouga blushed and looked away when her hand finally grabbed ahold of his.

Seeing her beaming up at him, he thought to himself that he was the luckiest wolf in the world in that moment. All too soon, they turned the corner and saw the lunch spot, so Kouga let go of her hand to hold the door for her. When she stubbornly tried to pay for her food again, he tried to explain, "It's just against my instincts Kagome. All my senses are constantly telling me to do it."

Shrugging his shoulders when her lips pursed together, he paid and they sat. "So Kagome, you never told me what you do for a living? Let me guess, shrine maiden?" He chuckled when she huffed and said, "No, actually I work in a hospital. I'm a nurse with a special miko certification that allows me to work on the worst cases to heal them. What do you do?"

Eyebrows raised, Kouga answered with, "I'm the yokai government contractor to help with the national park maintenance and security. Basically a glorified park ranger that they need to make sure that any rowdy yokai are dealt with, especially with the boneheads in my pack."

At her confused look, he clarified, "All the wolf demons you saw earlier? They all live in the neighborhoods right in front of the forest and they can get hard to control. Even though I'm Alpha, they need a tight rein, especially the whelps. They can get into a bit of trouble if unsupervised."

Her sweet lips were half open with surprise as she asked "So you're the Alpha? You look so young!" She flushed and gave a breathless exclamation of "wow" when he nodded. "I've never met an Alpha ookami before" she whispered and he inwardly groaned. Of course she'd never met an Alpha. It was going to be that much more to explain to her later.

Gazing deep into her eyes, his voice came out husky as he cleared it and asked, "Would you come over for dinner tonight? I live close and was thinking we could have a picnic. I'll be a complete gentleman, honest, and you can always purify me, remember?" He watched her look down and take a moment to consider, before deciding that she could take care of herself, and agreeing to a picnic date.

Looking at his watch, he let her know they'd be late if they didn't leave, and threw out their trash on the way out. "Hey can I carry you there and run us over? We're nearly late already, but I can get us there fast if you're okay with it." At her hesitant okay, he picked her up bridal style, accidentally crumpling her sundress around her upper thighs.

He felt her encircle her arms around his neck and flit off using all his yokai speed. His rewarded was a sharp gasp against his neck and he laughed as he sped them towards the school. Arriving in a whirlwind, he saw the knowing smirks from his betas as he let her down and gave her a big grin. Filing back into the auditorium he was still transfixed by the flush of her cheeks and her racing heart.

Whispering to Ginta as they sat down and Kagome was distracted by Hakkaku, "Lunch went great, after we finish you two high tail it to my place and I'll slow her down and we'll walk at her pace. That should give you enough time to set everything up."

At the soft "okay" from his beta, Kouga turned back to Kagome and brushed his hand against hers. She didn't stop her conversation with Hakkaku, but her face flushed a bit as she softly twined her fingers into his. His thumb brushed lazy circles across the back of her hand, making her smile ever so slightly when she eventually turned her head back to him.

Hakkaku and Ginta shared a knowing glance right before the government official started reminding them that tomorrow was their control training and to dress with athletics in mind. The hours seemed to drag on for the anxious wolf pack, all of them wanting their Alpha to succeed in his quest for happiness. He deserved a bit of happiness after all the centuries of loneliness.

As soon as the government representative ended the session, his betas were off in a flash, practically bowling over everyone in the auditorium on their way out. At Kagome's questioning look he shrugged his shoulders while inwardly grinning. She eyed him suspiciously until they were out of the school and he distracted her with the beautiful scenery.

Grabbing her hand surreptitiously, he slowly led her in the direction of his home. Pointing out landmarks and quaintly popular shops, the thatched hut village seemed an anachronism, a gorgeous vision melding in with the mountainous backdrop.

When she stopped to dip in her toes into the winding river, he picked a wild tsubaki camellia and tucked it into the hair behind her ear. The vibrant red of its petals contrasted beautifully with her pale skin and black hair, taking his breath away. He wondered if she caught the Hanakotoba flower meaning behind it, as tsubaki camellias represented love.

When his house came into view jutting up along the edge of the forest, an old machiya that was beautifully maintained, he heard her small gasp at the sight. Kouga could smell that his betas had come and gone after setting up the picnic supplies, leaving them to their privacy. He saw the way she ran her hand along the wooden doorframe, marvelling at the history, the bones of the house.

"Did you restore all of this yourself? It looks so pristine." He was startled out of his own thoughts at the question. He'd been staring at her again, "mooning" over her as his pack would say. He couldn't help it. She was here, walking into his house after he opened the door, her scent mingling with his. It just felt so surreal.

Shaking his head to concentrate, he replied, "No, I didn't need to do a big restoration. I built this house in 1805 when I moved into the area, and I've just kept it up over the years, replacing small things as they've come up. I loved the design of the downtown kyo-machiya and emulated it's style while building. Most of my pack's houses are machiya inspired as well."

Leading her through the house and into the backyard, it was a gorgeous reveal as he pulled aside the shoji door. Twinkling string lights draped across the vine trellises over the engawa porch and small lanterns lined the winding stone pathway, coming to an end on the banks of the pond. A small wicker basket was laid invitingly on a checkered blanket. Kouga watched her face as she took it all in, marvelling at the shift of emotion on her face before she looked back up at him.

"You didn't have to do all this just for me," her soft whisper came with the faint tremble of her bottom lip, and he could tell she was wondering why he'd went through all of this when they'd only known each other for two days. The soft fading light of dusk played across her face as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, thumb brushing her cheek in a soft caress.

"I did it because you're worth it, because you deserve it." He took her hand in his and after staring into her impassioned eyes for a minute, gently led her down the path.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome couldn't figure him out. Nibbling on the last stuffed onigiri from the empty picnic basket, she peeked over at him and blushed when he caught her staring. Why was he so interested in her? He was so handsome, out of her league in her opinion. And what were they even doing? Was this casual dating? She'd never been on so many dates so quickly before.

Looking down at the food spread out in front of her, she had to ask him about it. "Kouga, what is all of this about? Are we dating? What's going on between us? We've only known each other for two days and we're on our third date already. It's odd how normal this feels considering the short amount of time this is all happening in."

She bit her bottom lip while she waited for an answer. He seemed to study her face before leaning back to look up at the sky. Kagome could just make out the worried look that flashed across his face before he answered her with a question of his own, "How much do you know about ookami Kagome?"

When she shook her head and gave him a soft "Not much" he continued, saying "Our legends say that when we're born our souls are split in two, and that everyone has a true mate out there somewhere. Not everyone finds that person, but those that do, imprint on their mate at first sight. When an ookami imprints it's like the world stops, like the universe collapses down and the only thing that matters is the person in front of them."

She heard him sigh and he ran a hand through his bangs. "Yesterday morning when I looked into your eyes, I imprinted on you. I didn't want to tell you this so early, but I won't lie to you. I'll never lie to you. I just, I feel this need to be beside you. It's like everything in the world is off kilter when you're away but when I see you it all straightens out. But I know I can't force this, so if this is too much to fast, just say the word and I'll back off. We'll go at your pace, whatever pace that may be."

At her soft intake of air, his eyes met hers and she could tell this was hard for him to explain. His eyes seemed to shine iridescently in the fading sunlight as they captured hers. Licking her lips, she responded with a soft whisper, "I don't mind the pace we're setting now, and I'm glad you're being upfront with me about all of this. I thought I was going crazy because I was thinking about you so often. I didn't think it was healthy or normal, but now I know why. It's a lot to take in, but it's weird in a good way."

She scooted closer and tentatively put her hand on his. Kagome's heart stuttered when Kouga gave her a huge relieved grin and interwound his fingers with hers. The heat of his palm against hers was scorching, and she wondered if his lips would be as warm against her own. After a moment of staring into his sultry eyes, she took a chance and tipped her face up to see if he'd take the bait.

_Score one Kagome_ was the last thought her mind came up with before he took her breath away with a soft and sweet kiss. It was chaste, hardly a make out session, but by the time he brought his lips away from hers she was blushing and a bit embarrassed to admit that she may have been panting. She felt him tuck a lock of her hair back behind her ear and she smiled up at him, feeling genuine happiness for the first time in a long time.

Grinning and dragging him down to lay beside her on the blanket, she giggled when he took her hand and brought it to his lips in a chaste kiss. "How gallant! Such a gentleman." Kagome smiled at his mischievous wink and tentatively scooted over to lay her head on his bicep. As they watched the blazing sunset and listened to the soft sounds of nature awakening, she wished they could stay like this forever.

But all too soon Kagome heard his whisper of "I should walk you home soon before it gets too dark" and she sighed regretfully and nodded her assent. As she helped Kouga gather up their dishes and picnic items, she couldn't help but be entranced by the smooth glide of muscle under his skin and the broad expanse of his shoulders as neatly folded the picnic blanket. A delicate sniff from his nose had her blushing at his slow grin, the thought dawning on her that he could probably smell her attraction to him.

The moments seemed to pass slowly: putting dishes in the sink, laughing and joking together as he walked her home, a soft goodnight kiss in front of the inn's front door. A barely audible sigh escaped as she watched him trot back down the street and around the corner, fading from view. The soft thud of closing the shoji door brought her back to reality and she took off her shoes in the genkan. As soon as she made it to her room and laid down on her bed, she was asleep.

Kagome bolted out of bed at the jarring sound of her alarm clock. Looking over at the time, she realized today was the physical training and evaluation. After showering she quickly tied her hair in a ponytail and changed into a pair of bike shorts and a pastel blue tank top, since movement was going to be vital today. A quick breakfast and a friendly wave at the innkeeper later, and she was out the door and jogging to class.

She arrived in the courtyard just in time, the rest of the class lining up alphabetically and waiting for the government official's instructions. As she fell into line at the end of the first row she felt eyes on her back and turned, seeing Kouga in the row behind her nearly at the back of the line. A blush rose up on her face as he looked up and down her body before meeting her gaze and giving her a pointed grin.

She spun back around just in time to hear the official explain that for the first skill test they would be releasing their aura on command and then controlling it. It was especially important for mikos and monks to be trained in this skill because if they couldn't control and expand their auras, they could kill someone. One of the first skills she'd learned as a child was how to let her aura out while nullifying its purification properties.

As the instructor went down the line recording names and checking off boxes, Kagome fiddled around nervously. When the official stopped in front of her and confirmed her name and date of birth, she nodded and he told her to release. She exhaled and released her massive aura. As it rose up all around her and expanded to its full height, she heard several sharp intakes of breath and even a few appreciative whistles. She was told to hold it for a minute while the instructor wrote down some notes, and then reign it back in.

A few minutes later and the rest of the class had been tested and finished. The official made a few final notes before calling out that each yokai would be paired off with a spiritual user with the closest power level to them, and vice versa. The rules were simple, no blood spilled, no serious injuries, and no serious reiki burns, only barriers. Kagome looked up when her name was called and then smiled when she heard Kouga's name listed. At least she didn't have to fight someone she didn't know?

She felt a hand grab hers as soon as the list was finished and she smiled up the familiar ookami. Laughing as he hauled her off to a more secluded spot on the edge of the courtyard, they circled each other, waiting until the instructor's shout of "Fight!" filled the air before crashing into one another. They were serious enough in their blows at first, each doing the other some slight damage as a show for the official before he moved on, and then their fight turned playful.

At some point Kouga's blows became taps and Kagome's reiki charged hands simmered down to small zaps. She yelped in surprise as he caught her unaware and slapped her exposed thigh playfully. Huffing, she slapped him clear across the face and admired the reiki burned handprint while muttering a soft admonition of "hentai" under her breath. She felt him chuckle softly into her ear as he circled her and whispered to her that he liked her spark.

"Forgive me for overstepping? You just look so great in those shorts." She blushed and smiled as he winked at her for comedic effect. A shrill whistle rang through the air, signaling that the first round was finished and it was time to move on. The instructors segregated the yokai into one half of the field and lined them up, doing the same with the monks and mikos.

One by one, each spiritual wielder chose a weapon from a selection laid out in front of them and performed a series of purification exercises on a target at the end of the field. The yokai were similarly kept busy by showing off their signature moves on their own target and then being timed on a run around the mile long field. Kagome couldn't help but hold her breath when she saw Kouga impress the officials with his speed and strength. Seeing the stretch of muscle gliding as he performed the tests had her fanning herself, embarrassed at the desire she felt.

Lunch had been provided by the government today given their strenuous activities, and by the time the instructor called for everyone to shower in the lockers and go home, Kagome was exhausted. Sidling over to Kouga and slinging her bag over her sweaty shoulder, she took his hand gently and they walked over to the locker rooms. She gave him a heated look right before she went into the girls lockers, shaking her head to dispel the desire that had been creeping up all day. She chuckled at the thought that maybe she needed a cold shower.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello everyone!

I've moved all my stories onto Ao3 due to 's content policies about explicit writing. Find me at Archive of our Own with the username UnderwaterOphelia and see all the updates I've posted! I'm also on Tumblr, and my username is underwater0phelia, with a zero instead of the letter o. Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Ophelia


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